Who doesn’t like the warmth and comfort of a fireplace? But not every landlord and fire brigade allows for candles, ethanol burners, or DIY fireplaces in your flat. So, maker Peinador used a Raspberry Pi and a small LED to build a virtual one.

An old smartphone inside the box plays a 10-hour video of a fireplace, which then is transferred to the 8×8 pixel LED matrix. To get the proper sound, the internal speaker emits soothing crackling sounds.

More information: Instructables

Nothing can frustrate 3D printing enthusiasts more than having an 18-hour print fail in the last 30 minutes. Spence Stoltzfus has a solution to the problem, and it’ll only set you back $20 – no AI subscription service necessary.

The system is based on the free and open-source Home Assistant software. You will need to install the camera module, install the software and mount everything to your printer. If your printer produces the feared “spaghetti”, it will turn the lights red, send notifications, play alerts on speakers, and whatever else you can think of.

More information: Hackster

Polaroid photos never really went out of fashion. The problem is that this ancient analog gear costs a-plenty, and if you want to share your snapshots, you’ll have to photograph the photo, which is a bit strange.

Maker vpiella28 upgraded a cheap classic Polaroid cam to a modern times Instagram cam. Thanks to a 3D printed modification, the Raspberry Pi cam and a Raspberry Pi Zero, you can now upload your shots directly to Instagram, with a Raspberry Pi Zero handling all the tasks. Say “Cheese”.

More information: Instructables

Are you looking for a properly documented beginner’s project for your Raspberry Pi Pico? Then turn your Pi it into two dice. Guitarman9119 already wrote the code; you only need 12 LEDs to display the numbers, a custom PCB, some buttons, and a 3D-printed enclosure.

More information: Instructables

Imagine you have a farm, and some animal is stealing your crop. Or that gluttonous colleague of yours is fond of the chocolate bars in your desk drawer. Not so good, right? Obviously, we will need an alarm system that scares them away. Robo Hubs came up with a $10 solution that does the trick.

You will need a Raspberry Pi Pico, a PIR sensor module, a speaker, and a power bank if you want to power your device outside. The circuit is really easy to build, and the program has already been written for you. The passive infrared sensor will pick up movement, and your Raspberry Pi will ring the alarm.

More information: Instructables

Hobbyist developer DevMiser came up with a cool idea: Lumina. A Raspberry Pi-powered box that lets you create AI images via voice prompt, Lumina uses the Picovoice voice assistant platform to detect a wake word and listen to your request. OpenAI’s DALL•E 3 image model then generates an image to display on the connected TV or monitor.

Sound complicated? It isn’t. If you follow the instructions closely, you can have the system up and running in a matter of hours.

More information: Instructables and GitHub.

Maker Bekathwia from Brooklyn has a cat that enjoys watching TV. So she built a small “cat TV” set and shared the info on Instructables. You will need a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5, a power supply, a small 5-inch display, a 3D printed enclosure, a USB speaker, some tools – and a cat, of course.

It’s easy to assemble the components, and if the superior being in your household doesn’t want to watch, you can also enjoy YouTube videos on the small touchscreen yourself.

More information: Instructables

Emmet from Pimylifeup came up with a beginner’s tutorial on how to install a self-hosted workout diary on a Raspberry Pi. His “ExerciseDiary” is a fun little project that can be completed in one or two hours. The exercise diary is a bit barebones, but it’ll teach you a lot about installing and using a Raspberry Pi.

Emmet ran it on a Raspberry Pi 5, but older models will do, too.

More information: Pimylifeup

Palworld is extremely popular. No wonder, as the formula for fighting and catching monsters has been a smash hit ever since Pokémon came out. If you’re into the game, you can use a fast Raspberry Pi with at least 8 GB RAM to run a PalWorld server you and your friends can connect to. Happy hunting.

More information: PiMyLifeUp

Windows 11 isn’t exactly a lightweight operating system. So, can it run on a Raspberry Pi, which traditionally runs Linux? Yes, you can get Microsoft’s OS to work, with some limitations. It’s tedious to install, but it works. You either run it from a hard drive, which is faster, or boot it directly from the SD card, which requires less hardware.

More information: Raspberry Tips

Open AI’s image generator Dall-E continues to amaze us… so why not use a Raspberry Pi to access it automatically? It’s actually easy to install the API-key. As the computational side is done on OpenAI’s servers, you can run it on an underpowered Raspberry Pi Zero W or a first-generation Pi.

More information: PiMyLifeUp

Upcycling obviously is something that computer scientist Nick Programmer is interested in. With the help of a Raspberry Pi Pico, an LED light strip, and some electrical components, you can turn an old glass container into a lamp that can shine in different colors. The project is well-documented, so you should be able to complete it in one evening.

More information: Instructables

What if you could verbally ask ChatGPT for advice, and it would talk back to you? Raspberry Pi owners rejoice! You can have the world’s most famous AI chatbot talk to you. Besides your trusty Pi, you’ll need a microphone, a speaker, a soldering iron, and some code that Instructable member pdp12 wrote. You speak your prompts aloud, the Raspberry Pi does the speech-to-text / text-to-speech conversions, and the AI-Pi responds with realistic, synthesized Azure speech models, of which there are plenty to choose from.

More information: Instructables

So, what is an NAS, and why would you need one? Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices act as a file sharing server, perfect for databases or file transfer. This way, multiple users can access common resources on attached hard drives, pen drives, or SD cards. With clear instructions provided by user sidG, you can turn any Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 into a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device so that you can easily transfer files or back up them over your home network.

More information: Instructables

The initial idea for the Raspberry Pi may have been to teach children how to code, but nowadays, you see it in a professional context a lot. If you’re looking for a network monitoring solution, best give the NEMS Linux distro a spin. It can monitor multiple servers at once, track the status of your system, issue warnings, and detect failures. It has evolved to include enterprise builds for VMWare ESXi, Amazon Web Services’ EC2, Docker, and more. The UI is browser-based, feels modern, offers countless extras, and is easy to use.

More information: MUO

Michael Darby’s project simulates life in a small environment. Loosely based on Conway’s Game of Life, it adds minable resources, walls, artificial momentum for traveling, radiation, and even a Thanos snap that eliminates 50% of the population. A Raspberry Pi 4 crunches the numbers, displaying the result on a 64 x 32 LED panel.

More information: Hackster

Maker daniounescu started to work on a lovely open-source project that takes an LED strip to visualize your work day. You can hook it up to Google Calendar so that your booked time slots are displayed in a different color. A Raspberry Pi Pico W will do all the timekeeping for you.

More information: Instructables

So you got hold of a Raspberry Pi Pico? If that’s the case, here’s an easy beginner’s project to build a thermometer plus a real-time clock on a breadboard. All you need is a handful of parts, including some wires, a sensor, and a color display. It shouldn’t take longer than an hour, and you’ll learn how to adapt a script for CircuitPython along the way. Credit to educ8s for the guide.

More information: Instructables

If you want to turn your Raspberry Pi 4 into a rugged laptop, here’s the right project for you. The case interior is 3D printed and holds the Pi, a 7-inch touchscreen, a battery pack, and a full-fledged keyboard. Also, the designer Dan Edwards put all the access ports neatly under the screen.

More information: Thingiverse

If you’re a space buff, the International Space Station might be significant to you. Maker and software engineer Sridhar Rajagopal has produced this nifty project, allowing you to see its current position and trajectory. All you need is a Raspberry Pi, an e-Paper display, plus a see-through enclosure.

More information: Hackster

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding artificial intelligence-generated art – images created from text prompts by a machine-learning system known as a generative adversarial network – but it can be difficult to get excited about something you only ever see in your web browser. That’s where Alex Thiele‘s Portrayt comes in: A Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+, or any other model of Raspberry Pi with the 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header and a network connection, mounted to the back of a Pimoroni Inky wHAT E Ink display and sat on a small wooden easel.

Throughout the day, software running on the Raspberry Pi sends prompts to the Stable Diffusion GAN and downloads the result for display on the screen. No user interaction is required. “You can interpolate from one prompt to another,” Thiele adds. “For example, you could interpolate from ‘barren tree’ to ‘lush tree’ over the course of some amount of images, and have it take 24 hours to finish the cycle. It’s fun to have something new to look at each time you look at the display!”

More information: GitHub

If you fancy freeing yourself from tethered speakers or uncomfortable headphones and have a spare Raspberry Pi, Frederic Danis’ step-by-step tutorial will show you how to turn any pair of speakers into a high-quality Bluetooth audio system.

“It provides Bluetooth A2DP support with optional codecs out of the box,” Danis explains of the PipeWire software, which drives the project. While Danis’ build uses the Raspberry Pi’s integrated 3.5mm audio jack to connect the speakers, though, those concerned about audio quality would be advised to look into a USB DAC or HAT add-on instead.

More information: Collabora

Kodi is a versatile media center and entertainment hub that brings digital media together into a user-friendly package. The free software runs sufficiently quickly on a Raspberry Pi Zero W. Within an hour, and you’ll have your media center up and running.

More information: Circuit Digest

So, you have a Raspberry Pi but no spare monitor, keyboard, or mouse? If you follow these instructions, you can use your Raspberry Pi with any computer monitor. The easy-to-follow instructions, written by user danushi13, will get you started in no time.

More information: Hackster

Philips pioneered its Ambilight technology, where LED strips mounted on the sides of the TV adjust their color in real time. The effect visually enlarges the TV image and looks quite impressive.

If you have a Phillips Hue light, you can sync it to any TV set via the Raspberry Pi cam, providing ambient lighting around the TV that mimics the colors on the screen. Just follow the instructions written by Cameron Vetter.

More information: Hackster

As of August 2022, the total global electricity usage for crypto-assets was between 120 and 240 billion kilowatt-hours per year. This exceeds the total annual electricity usage of countries such as Argentina or Australia. Let’s be honest, crypto mining consumes a ridiculous amount of energy.

Using a Raspberry Pi with a PiJuice and Notecard Learn, Rob Lauer created a solar-powered cryptocurrency “mining rig” with cloud-based reporting in a self-containing system – and shared it with the world. It’s not something that will make you rich, as the sheer computer power of a Raspberry Pi is not up to par with current crypto-mining machines, but you’ll at least go to sleep with a good conscience.

More information: Hackster

Use a Raspberry Pi with NextCloud to store and synchronize your data. All you need is an extra SATA hard drive. The installation procedure, written by user nj1337, is pretty straightforward. If you happen to have a 3D printer, you can also print a nice case for your new file server.

More information: Hackster

If you‘re living in a crowded or even polluted city, air quality is really something to think about. Thanks to a project by David Gherghita and Ioan Herisanu, a Raspberry Pi with a Sensirion SPS30 sensor can measure the air quality both indoors and out.

Just connect the particulate matter sensor to your Raspberry Pi and obtain easy-to-read graphs based on the read data.

More information: Hackster

Got perfect Wi-Fi reception in the living room but no connection in the garden? This project turns a Pi into a cheap and efficient way of increasing the total range of your Wi-Fi network.

The Raspberry Pi 4 gets its network connection from its onboard Wi-Fi module. The signal will then be distributed through a second Wi-Fi adapter. If you use an older Pi, you’ll need two Wi-Fi adapters, which start at approximately $8 each.

More information: Pi My Life Up

Stethoscopes are mechanical medical devices for listing what’s happening inside a body. But while doctors need to learn and understand the sounds they hear, CodersCafeTech uses AI to analyze a wide range of bodily sounds and provide real-time health assessments.

One word of caution: even though CodersCafeTech is very enthusiastic about the revolutionary potential of his creation, the AI stethoscope can’t and shouldn’t replace a visit to the doctor. Nevertheless, it’s a fascinating project that will give you new insights into your body.

More information: Instructables

The Inkycal, thought up by Aceinnolab, converts ePaper displays into information dashboards. And it offers a degree of freedom other projects don’t. Modularity? Check. Python 3? Check. Works on Raspberry Pi Zero W? Check. Support for third-party modules? Absolutely!

The software is open source, fully modular, and not very complicated to adapt.  It will display images, a calendar, and an agenda and provide you with slideshows, stock information, weather forecasts, and to-do lists. Everything runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W. You can even 3D print a frame that holds the device.

More information: Github

Old hi-fi components are easy to find, so why not upcycle one of these old boxes from the 80s and 90s? All you need is a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 and the instructions made by Alan Boris. What you’ll get is a retro streaming device that allows you to use controls like the power switch or volume dial.

More information: Hackster

Fyto is a smart planter pot thought up by Team CodersCafe. It is 3D printed, and houses sensors that measure light exposure, temperature, and humidity. Depending on these factors, a smiley represents six different “emotions” of your plant, like being cold, thirsty, or sleepy. You can then react accordingly. The “brain” for all this is a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W.

More information: Hackster

What is it that brings grown men back to remote-controlled cars? Well, Shahbaz Hashmi Ansari has been bitten by this particular bug; and, with a piece of cardboard, four wheels hooked up to stepper motors, a Raspberry Pi Pico, and a smartphone, he accomplished a fun project that’ll bring you joy even after you’ve completed it.

More information: Instructables

If you like a good jump scare, this is a really fun one. Mounted in a picture frame is an LCD screen showing a portrait of a gentleman … until you pass the frame and the picture comes alive. Couple the visual with good speakers, and rest assured it will have an effect on passersby. Besides a Raspberry Pi, you’ll need to buy some sensors and the movie itself. Although the project from Dominick Marino is well documented, it’s best for intermediate makers. There’s also a lady version, which also results in a nice jumpscare.

More information: Hackster

This practical device, thought up by maker fudhail, tracks your geolocation. It doesn’t require a sim card, a phone, or a subscription fee. It even works without 2G/3G/LTE coverage. The GPS location is updated via LoRa communication according to a pre-configured time interval. The device uses very little power and can be used for many activities. The parts are pretty affordable, too.

More information: Hackster

“My mom recently bought me a Raspberry Pi for my 21st birthday and asked me if I could do something cool with it,” Amir Ali Hashemi, a student of artificial intelligence, explains. “I mean, I’m not just some AI novice, I spent three whole years of my life studying the subject, so I’d better be able to run a program on it.” The result: A YouTube channel that runs itself.

A Python program running on a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, connected to the internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, pulls down popular posts from Reddit and runs them through a cloud-based text-to-speech engine – combining the output with music and visuals to automatically generate videos. These videos are then uploaded to a YouTube channel, all without user interaction – an interesting approach to content creation, but one which will certainly draw its share of criticism.

More information: Medium

If you’re looking for a nice weekend project, look no further: This project lets you build a smart drone with autopilot capabilities. The team around Víctor Mayoral Vilches based the software on Linux, using a Pi Zero and a PXFmini autopilot shield. The cost totals around $200 with an assembly time of about four hours – and the overall fun factor is extremely high.

More information: Hackster

With the help of a Raspberry Pi Zero W, an old picture frame, and a 7.5-inch e-paper display, you’ll get your weather forecast, an air pollution tracker, and the top news headlines. The project was thought up by the maker Aerodynamics.

More information: Hackster

Are you interested in fresh green vegetables and herbs? The Robotic Urban Farm System is made from PVC pipes. It is relatively easy to build and has some nice tricks up its sleeve. The vertical hydroponic garden allows for high-density yields and shorter growth cycles. A Raspberry Pi and an Arduino will help you to monitor temperature, water cycles, and plant nutrition. There’s even a smartphone app for this project.

The instructions, made by Paul Langdon, are excellent – you should be able to plant in a matter of hours.

More information: Hackster

What’s the use of a surveillance camera if you constantly have to monitor it? This Smart Security Camera project by Hacker Shack makes things a lot easier by detecting changes and then notifying you. Currently, you can have Google send an email with an image of any object it has detected. Grab a Raspberry Pi Zero, read the instructions, and start building.

More information: Hackster

“Mirror, mirror on the wall …” – if you have a question, this smart mirror can answer it. With a growing list of compatible apps, MagicMirror² allows you to convert your hallway or bathroom mirror into a personal assistant. The software is easy to configure, and you can choose from a variety of different modules, such as voice control, news, weather forecasts, transport, sports, and communication. The mirror can also be voice-activated.

More information: MagicMirror

What a First Person Shooter (FPS) is to gamers, the First Person Lawnmower (FPL) is to DIY gardeners. The “Lawny” project, thought up by maker gektor650, lets you steer a self-built lawnmower from your smartphone. To see what’s happening, a built-in camera will transfer a live feed from the lawnmower to your smartphone.

Besides a Raspberry Pi 5 plus camera, you will need motors (for steering and for rotating the blades), wheels, a power bank, and, of course, the trimmer head. Assembly should be relatively easy for experienced makers. Please be aware that this is not a beginner’s project… especially as you are working with fast-rotating blades.

More information: Instructables

Guitarman9119 has a knack for the Raspberry Pi Pico, and with this DIY macro keyboard, he shows one of its many use cases. The macro keyboard can be programmed to your liking; it sports 11 programmable keys, two clickable encoders, and RGB lighting that tells you which mode the keyboard is in.

More information: Instructables

Doly, the Raspberry Pi-powered companion robot, has been around for a year. Since then, the little machine has learned a lot of new tricks. Built from open hardware and open design components and fed with the latest AI, it recognizes faces, develops new skills, and responds to voice commands. It will keep you up to speed with its two round monitors (the “eyes”) or via distinct movement. Packed with sensors, the robot operates autonomously and can even find its charging station.

This sophisticated project will definitely get your creative juices flowing. Everything is open source so that you can redesign Doly to your liking.

More information: Hackster

To call the Alpakka a “gamepad” is, perhaps, doing it an injustice: What Input Labs has created is a gadget that includes both digital and analog controls plus a pair of gyroscopic sensors – providing what the company claims are mouse-like performance in competitive games. “Having the performance of a mouse combined with the convenience of a gamepad,” the company promises, “you won’t have to make any compromise anymore.”

Inside the customizable 3D printed shell is a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller board, which has a high enough performance to drive the controller at 250Hz with ultra-low latency. The entire controller design is open source, including the 3D printable body – and the firmware includes eight profiles for different game genres, including first-person shooters and real-time strategy games.

More information: Input Labs

This Ikea hack transforms any surface into a smart interface using a Raspberry Pi, a laser projector, and the new Android Things operating system from Google.

Rather than having every object in our home and office become ‘smart’, Lantern imagines a future where projections are used to present ambient, relevant UI around everyday objects. Opposed to a screen, when they’re no longer needed, the projected user interface simply fades away.

The smart lantern by Nord Projects is built around the concept of ‘channels’ – mini-apps that can be configured through a companion coding environment. It connects to online data feeds online and then displays a projected user interface.

More information: Hackster

Yet another robot? Yes, but this one’s quite special. Emo is the brainchild of Shebin Jose Jacob and Nekhil, a.k.a. CodersCafe. Their newest creation is called Emo. This friendly companion bot sits on your desk and will do what it’s told, but according to its makers, it’s more than just a robot – it’s a presence with unique quirks and emotions. It is a demanding but well-documented project for experienced makers.

More information: Hackster

This open-source cat-shaped robot by Team Petoi is nothing short of awesome. OpenCat is highly maneuverable; it can pose, crawl, balance, recover from falls, and detect obstacles. It can even stream videos and detect faces. You can also integrate Amazon’s Alexa personal assistant. The programmable and highly maneuverable robotic cat is a great project for advanced STEM education and AI-enhanced services. An Arduino takes responsibility for controlling detailed limb movements, while the Raspberry Pi 4 works as the cat’s brain.

More information: Hackster